Trying to configure 3Com 4500 with 2 vlans

[wpisd0tech]

Please excuse the newbie question, but my knowledge and background is mostly Windows. We had a D-Link DES-3326SR switch go out. It is end of life and we don't have any extra. We do have some extra 3Com 4500s. What I am trying to do is connect a building with 10.4.x.x/16 with a VLAN of 10.254.1.x/24. I really don't know enough to ask the right questions, but here is what I have done so far. I have the set the switch with an IP of 10.4.0.1 and I set up VLAN2 with an IP of 10.254.1.2 (I found that from the config of the old switch). I tired one switch and was able to ping out either side, but have lost that. I am now trying on a second switch from scratch.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[IRudebwoy]

Sounds good so far.

Define interfaces for each VLAN with the appropriate IP address, which sounds like you have done.

Make sure the clients know about the route.

Always save your config if using the web management page.

 

[cknipe]

Also keep in mind. If I am a pc in vlan 1, my default gateway should be the IP address that is assigned to interface vlan 1. If I am a member of vlan 2, my default gateway should be the ip address assigned to interface vlan 2 of the 4500 switch. This allows the switch to be the "router" on your network.

Also keep in mind, in order for the vlan to be up you need to have at least 1 member up and online in that vlan, otherwise you wont be able to ping the vlan interface.

 

[wpisd0tech]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. It turned out to be a weired network thing. They have RIP running on all the other layer 3 switches, but what makes the network work is the static routes. Once I put those in, it started working.

I rack this one up to legacy network discovery

 

[cknipe]

IMO you really only need to use routing protocols like that when your network has multiple paths to the same destination...someone probably just finished thier CCNA when the designed that and had something to prove. who knows.

 

[IRudebwoy]

you really only need to use routing protocols like that when your network has multiple paths to the same destination

Well RIP won't work in that situation either. Something like OSFP where you can apply a cost to the various routes would work better. RIP is good to advertise routes automatically without having to touch every Layer 3 aware device (routers and switches) when the routes change.

Sounds like good management.

 

[wpisd0tech]

Hello All,

Thanks for the suggestions. My real problem is that I inherited a old network with no documentation. We are so understaffed that I don't have a chance to document or upgrade it. I found out that the switch for each lan points to our core router as its gateway and has static routes for each lan entered upon inital config. I don't know if this is the best way to do it, but this is not my forte. So now that I have a replacement switch up and running, I am going to leave it for now while I work on the backlog that developed while I was working on it.

Thanks again.